Lessons From Strong Women Leaders + Zenni Optical Giveaway

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about women leaders lately, so today I’m sharing some lessons I’ve learned from some of my favorite women leaders.

One day, I hope to be just half as amazing as these women, but at the very least, I’m thankful that I’ve had the opportunity to learn from them.

Sheryl Sandberg

Dude, this lady right here kicks ass. She’s a hustler, a powerful woman leader, and she’s taught me everything I know about leaning in. She’s taught me to never be afraid of sitting at the table, that it’s up to ME to go after everything I want in my career, and that we all have the ability of making an impact on this world that we live in if we have the courage to do so. She’s taught me that it’s okay to have a voice, and that we should never apologize for using it.

Arianna Huffington

I read Arianna’s book, Thrive, and let me tell you something, that’s one of the best books you’ll ever read. Arianna’s also a lead female executive, but in her book Thrive, she also talks about how she had a nervous breakdown from all the stress and spent nights crying in her bathroom. Because of that, she shares with us the importance of work-life balance and taking care of yourself so that you can actually function like a normal human being. She’s made me more mindful of getting that me-time without feeling bad about it.

Jaclyn Hill

This lady right here is on FIRE! Don’t know who she is? Hello!!! She’s only got the best beauty YouTube channel. She’s a true boss lady and has taught me that you can be AMAZING at what you do, but still be a nice person. She’s got a contagious personality, and she really does care about her fans. She’s always on Snapchat sharing stories with us, and I think there’s something to be said about that personal connection she has with her fan-base. It really makes us love her that much more, because she’s smart and ambitious, but also super charismatic.

Sophia Amoruso

Sophia’s the founder of Nasty Gal, in case you don’t know, and if you read her book, Girl Boss, you’ll read all about how she made that happen. Here’s a girl who started selling clothes on eBay, and eventually made it big. Like, really big. She went after her dreams, made smart meticulous marketing decisions, but she worked for everything she has, and I admire that grit so much. I now listen to her podcast, GirlBoss Radio religiously, and I LOVE it.

My Momma

Yea, I can’t leave my momma off this list! Especially today, since it’s her birthday! Happy birthday momma bear!! My mom’s always been a full-time mom, at least since I was really little, and she’s totally made me the woman I am today. Without her guidance and a few smacks over the head, my life could have turned out way differently, so I’m grateful for all the lectures I got over the years (although my teenage self would cringe reading this). Even though we don’t see eye-to-eye on EVERYTHING, she’s taught me a lot about the importance of family, and I wouldn’t be where I am without her.

So yea, women leaders are everywhere. They see the big picture for success for themselves and for others, and they also have the courage and strength to get the job done.

Zenni Optical recognizes the positive impact that these women make in all of our lives and because of that, they’d like to honor them through the gift of stylish and affordable eyewear so that everyone can see and appreciate their achievements and talents clearly.

Tell me! Who are some of the memorable female leaders in your life, or what female leaders do you look up to the most? What are some of the lessons they’ve taught you?

More about Zenni Optical:

Zenni Optical pioneered the online prescription eyewear business in 2003 to help people find fashionable glasses and sunglasses for every occasion for $50 or less – which includes single-vision prescription lenses. With its curated collections and literally thousands of frames, Zenni offers the most options for affordable premium prescription eyewear for women, men and kids.

3 Comments

Heather

Cassie

Love influential women! My field has so few women who are kicking ass in higher level job roles but my personal tutor at uni was a big inspiration for me! She taught me that you do what it takes to achieve your dreams, even if it means making small sacrifices along the way! And that its ok to be in love and let that affect your decisions as long as its still what you want! (sorry if that’s a bit cheesy).

PS. I have entered your competition due to the fact that I am quite blind without my glasses, and my bloody boyfriend sat on my pair and they are so wonky and I am too poor to afford a new pair so you know winning would be great just saying haha <3

Deborah

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how I don’t have women in my life that have been able to be successful in both career and family. These women in your list might be exceptions but it can be difficult to not have a clear role model in our everyday lives. The women I know are EITHER full time moms OR unmarried or child-less executives. The women that I know that did do both, like my mom, worked herself to a stressed out mess. Full time job then came home to clean, cook, and take care of the kids. Just something I’ve been noting as of late. Let’s be those role models for the generation that follows us!